The unfancied Bombers pushed the Crows all the way before the home side won 9.20 (74) to 10.9 (69) in front of 41,897 fans.
The difference in the end was some magic from Crows star Brett Burton and the experienced heads of Scott Thompson (33 possessions) and Simon Goodwin (27) in the midfield.
Adam McPhee led the goalkickers for the Bombers with three, while Burton and Jason Porplyzia booted two each for the Crows.
Adelaide has now won their last nine matches at AAMI, after the ‘fortress’ lost its reputation for a period last season, but it wasn’t the walk in the park many had expected.
The game started with Essendon charging out of the blocks and flying out to a three goal lead inside nine minutes, with all the goals from set shots as they worked the ball with decisive, quick movement inside 50.
Brent Stanton and Andrew Lovett were finding plenty of the ball through the middle, and David Hille and David Myers were cleaning up for the Bombers across half-back.
For the second week running, the Crows looked like they simply had not come to play.
Slowly, though, Adelaide steadied the ship, first preventing Essendon scoring as Nathan Bock and Andrew McLeod started asserting themselves, then inching their way back into the game through a string of points.
Crows barometer Burton started working very hard across half-forward and attracting plenty of ball (eight touches for the term), but just could not finish on the scoreboard.
Eventually it was an unexpected source in Ivan Maric who out-marked Hille at the top of the square to boot the Crows' first goal just before the siren sounded, leaving the Bombers nine points in front at the end of the opening term.
Neil Craig rang the changes at quarter time, going small up forward and asking for a lift in intensity from his midfeld. Goals to Jason Porplyzia and Graham Johncock were the reward, both on the back of hard work from Chris Knights, and the Crows had hit the lead 15 minutes into the term.
Tit-for-tat goals followed, with Essendon snatching the lead back through Winderlich, Adelaide replying with an opportunist snap to Richard Douglas, and the Bombers regaining the lead again just on the long break through a scrambled goal to Matthew Lloyd.
It had been an unexpectedly tight and intense first half, with the most dominant figure on the ground Bock (17 touches), giving Scott Lucas the runaround in his comeback game.
But anyone who thought the Crows would resume ‘normal AAMI Stadium service’ after the break was wrong.
When Angus Monfries outworked McLeod to mark and goal, and Myers kicked a ripper on the run -– his first in the AFL, the Bombers were back out to a 15-point lead and were full of defiance early in the third term.
Stung, the Crows did as they had in the first stanza: dug in and fought their way back.
First it was a series of points as the Crows inched their way closer, then a five minute patch of magic from Burton, who kicked two – including a freak mid-air soccer goal in the square – and set up a third for Thompson, which swung the momentum Adelaide’s way.
The Crows' old firm – skipper Goodwin, Tyson Edwards and Thompson – worked frenetically during this period, gathering 31 possessions between them for the term as the home team established midfield dominance and a 10 point three-quarter time lead.
But it wasn’t over yet.
A McPhee goal drew the Bombers back to within three points, before the Crows replied though more Burton magic – setting up a goal for Porplyzia with a clever pass under pressure – and then McPhee countered again.
With the crowd at fever pitch the Crows answered through Brent Reilly, then Bomber Sam Lonergan nailed a pressure set shot from 40m and the margin was still less than a kick.
A pulsating but goaless 10 minutes followed, with the Crows hanging on for a narrow win.
One area of concern for the Crows will be the response of the match review panel to an apparent high shot on Henry Slattery by star forward Burton.
Essendon made one late change before the game, with Tayte Pears replacing Jay Neagle (foot).
Adelaide 1.6 4.7 7.16 9.20 (74)
Essendon 3.3 5.5 7.6 10.9 (69)
GOALS
Adelaide: Porplyzia 2, Burton 2, Maric, Johncock, Douglas, Thompson, Reilly
Essendon:. McPhee 3, Winderlich 2, McVeigh, Lloyd, Monfries, Myers, Lonergan
BEST
Adelaide: Burton, Thompson, Bock, Goodwin, Porplyzia, Rutten, Douglas
Essendon: Winderlich, Lovett, McPhee, Myers, Fletcher, Monfries
INJURIES
Adelaide: nil
Essendon: Hislop (shoulder), Jay Neagle (foot) replaced in selected side by Tayte Pears
Reports: Nil
Umpires: McLaren, Nicholls, Meredith
Official crowd: 41,897 at AAMI Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or clubs.
